Afghanistan has welcomed Pakistan’s decision to upgrade diplomatic relations, with the Taliban-led government announcing that its foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, will visit Pakistan in the coming days.
On Friday, Pakistan confirmed that its chargé d’affaires in Kabul will be promoted to the rank of ambassador. In response, Afghan authorities stated that their envoy in Islamabad would also be elevated to ambassadorial status.
“The elevation in diplomatic representation between Afghanistan and Pakistan sets the stage for deeper cooperation across various sectors,” the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zia Ahmad Takal confirmed to AFP that Foreign Minister Muttaqi is expected to travel to Pakistan soon.
Earlier in May, Muttaqi held talks with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Beijing during a trilateral meeting also attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Following the meeting, Wang announced that Afghanistan and Pakistan planned to exchange ambassadors and reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting efforts to strengthen ties between the two neighboring countries.
On Friday, Dar described the development as a step forward in a “positive trajectory” of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, stating that upgrading diplomatic representatives would foster increased engagement between the “fraternal countries.”
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, only a few countries—including China—have accepted ambassadors from the Taliban-led government. However, no country has formally recognized the administration.
Last month, Russia also announced its intention to accredit a Taliban-appointed ambassador, shortly after removing the group’s “terrorist” label.
